Chris Cornell ‘Autopsy’ Episode to Premiere in August

The Reelz network announced Aug. 12 as the date for the premiere of its drama documentary about Chris Cornell’s final hours, starring British actor Paul Ayres.

The episode of the Autopsy: The Last Hours of … series explores the singer's last concert with Soundgarden in May 2017 and his death in Detroit later that night. He was 52.

Ayres plays Cornell in scenes including a recreation of the concert. He’s appeared in a number of large-scale musicals, including We Will Rock You, Hair and Godspell. Ben Sura, Andrew Shire and Patrick Holly play bandmates Kim Thayil, Ben Shepherd and Matt Cameron, respectively.

“Christopher John Cornell was an American musician, singer and songwriter,” Reelz said on its website. “Cornell was considered one of the chief architects of the 1990s grunge movement, and is well known for his extensive catalog as a songwriter, his nearly four-octave vocal range and his powerful vocal belting technique. Cornell struggled with depression for much of his life. He was found dead in his Detroit hotel room early on the morning of May 18, 2017, after performing at a Soundgarden concert an hour earlier.”

Cornell’s widow Vicky continued to argue after his death that the investigation had been “botched” and that it failed to identify that prescription drugs with known side effects were a significant contributor. While the autopsy concluded drugs had not been a factor, she presented an alternative report saying there was “clear evidence of drug ingestion leading to impaired behavior.” She insisted her husband had “wanted to be there for his family, for his children” and that “he would never have ever left this world.”

His hometown of Seattle recently confirmed the unveiling of a statue on Aug. 29.